Duff

A boy's name of Scottish Gaelic origin with 441 recorded U.S. births.

Boy's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

A surname.

Duff is a boy's baby name of Scottish Gaelic origin, from the Gaelic dubh meaning 'dark' or 'black.' As a Scottish and Irish surname, it described someone with dark complexion or hair — the same root that gives us Duffy and MacDuff (the loyal thane in Shakespeare's Macbeth).

Duff is a name of striking brevity — one syllable with a deep Celtic heritage. As a given name it's rare and confident, the kind of choice that belongs to someone entirely comfortable with being different.

EtymologyShow more

Duff is built from 4 letters and one syllable — a compact structure that favors quick recognition and easy recall. Within the Scottish Gaelic naming tradition, this brevity is common among names that have been worn down through centuries of use, shedding syllables along the way.

The interplay of consonants and vowels in Duff creates its characteristic sharp, distinct quality. One-syllable names stand out for their directness. Every sound carries weight, making pronunciation and first impressions immediate.

At a Glance

441

Total births

Since 1880

1954

Peak

34 births

1880

First recorded

129 years of data

Compare Duff with another name

Popularity Over Time

Duff has 42+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.

First appeared: 1880Peak: 1954 (34 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Duff
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2000s	6	#11462	▼
1970s	36	#4376	▼
1960s	117	#2647	▼
1950s	177	#2159	▲
1940s	42	#3041	▲
1930s	13	#3175	▼
1920s	27	#3828	▲
1910s	13	#3546	▲
1880s	10	#959	—

The Story of Duff

A Baby Boomer name

Peaking in 1954, Duff is a timeless Baby Boomer name. Boys named Duff are most likely born between 1944 and 1964.

How rare is Duff?

With fewer than 500 recorded births, Duff is an exceptionally rare name — a one-of-a-kind choice.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1880, gained momentum through the mid-century, peaked in the 1950s with 177 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Duff by the numbers

Would fill 9 school buses
Meeting one Duff per day would take 1.2 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(42 years, 1880–2008)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Duff
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2008	6	#11462	+1 (20.0%)
1976	5	#5848	-1 (-16.7%)
1974	6	#4791	-1 (-14.3%)
1973	7	#4203	0
1971	7	#4093	-4 (-36.4%)
1970	11	#2944	-3 (-21.4%)
1969	14	#2343	+8 (133.3%)
1968	6	#3820	0
1967	6	#3665	-4 (-40.0%)
1966	10	#2672	+2 (25.0%)
1965	8	#3050	-6 (-42.9%)
1964	14	#2240	0
1963	14	#2230	0
1962	14	#2213	-2 (-12.5%)
1961	16	#2084	+1 (6.7%)
1960	15	#2156	-3 (-16.7%)
1959	18	#1929	+5 (38.5%)
1958	13	#2293	-1 (-7.1%)
1957	14	#2215	-17 (-54.8%)
1956	31	#1395	+8 (34.8%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Duff a boy's or girl's name?

Duff is primarily a boy's name.

When was Duff most popular?

Duff reached its peak popularity in 1954 with 34 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Duff?

Duff is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 441 babies in the U.S. since 1880. Its peak was in 1954.

Explore More

By Length4-letter names By OriginScottish Gaelic names By EndingNames in -f TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–2008